Displays and monitors presently come in many shapes and sizes and are adapted for use in multiple environments, including compact and portable televisions, computers and games. Together, televisions, displays and monitors will herein be referred to as a group as displays. Displays are typically used to playback television and video signals from an antenna, cable, video camera and video cassette recorder (VCR). Displays are further used to display computer generated information such as text and graphics. When configured and controlled properly, conventional displays are able to display both computer text and graphics as well as television and other video signals. When audio is included within the received signal, an appropriately configured display will also have the capability to playback an audio signal as well.
Displays have been designed to be compact and fit into small places in the home, in vehicles, in portable computers and video cameras. Such compact displays typically include a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen on which the video image is presented.
A retractable face-up LCD monitor is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,106 by Salomon. When in the closed position, the monitor is stored screen up within a restricted space housing. A motor within the housing is used to pivot the monitor between its open and retracted positions. The electronics necessary to receive video signals and control the LCD display move with the monitor when it is in the open position. This monitor was designed for use in aircraft and will operate in only a single orientation.
A flat panel display monitor is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,814,759 by Gombrich et al. A housing, secured to a wall, includes a support assembly for supporting the display in multiple positions. The support assembly includes arms which are rotatably interconnected to the display screen so that when secured within the housing, the display screen is positioned inside the housing and when positioned out for viewing, the display screen is rotated to face outward.
A video display unit workstation is taught by Jamber et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,359,349. This video display unit workstation is stored away in the back rest of a vehicle seat. The video display unit includes a keyboard and is designed to allow a passenger in a vehicle to work on a computer through the video display unit while riding in the vehicle. When not in use, the video display unit folds into the back rest of the seat in front of the passenger. When in use, the video display unit taught by Jamber et al. works in only a single orientation.
What is needed is a compact and portable display having multiple uses which can be adapted for many different environments. What is further needed is a compact and portable display which will operate in multiple orientations.